An electrical adaptor providing access to an electrical receptacle with an object placed in close proximity directly in front of the receptacle. The electrical adaptor having a pair of male connectors with a center line; a pair of female connectors having a center line; the female connectors in electric conductive communication with the male connectors; a rigid single section body having a bend such that the center line of the female conductors is oriented and fixed at an angle of 90° relative to the center line of the male connectors and the center line of the female connectors is oriented and fixed at an angle of 30° to 60° from a plane formed by the male connectors; and the body extending from the male connectors to the female connectors.
|
5. An electrical adaptor comprising:
a body having a male face and a female face;
a pair of male connectors defining a plane and having a center line, said pair of male connectors extending from said male face;
a hinged third male connector extending from said male face said third male connector moveable between at least a first and second position, wherein said first position is perpendicular to said plane defined by said pair of male connectors and said second position is parallel with said pair of male connectors;
a pair of female connectors having a center line and extending into said body from said female face;
a third female connector parallel with said pair of female connectors and extending into said adaptor from said female face; and
each of said pair of female connectors in electric conductive communication with one of said pair of male connectors and said third female connector in electric conductive communication with said third male conductor.
1. An electrical adaptor comprising:
a body having a male face and a female face;
a pair of male connectors defining a plane and having a center line, said pair of male connectors extending from said male face;
a hinged third male connector extending from said male face, said third male connector moveable between at least a first, a second and a third position wherein said first and second positions are perpendicular to said plane defined by said pair of male connectors and said third position is parallel with said pair of male connectors;
a first and a second trench each extending across said male face from said third male connector, said first and second trench located and sized to contain said third male connector when placed in said first and second position respectively;
a pair of female connectors having a center line and extending into said body from said female face;
a third female connector parallel with said pair of female connectors and extending into said adaptor from said female face; and
each of said pair of female connectors in electric conductive communication with one of said pair of male connectors and said third female connector in electric conductive communication with said third male conductor.
4. An electrical adaptor comprising:
a body having a male face and a female face;
a pair of male connectors defining a plane and having a center line, said pair of male connectors extending from said male face;
a hinged third male connector extending from said male face, said third male connector moveable between at least a first, a second and a third position wherein said first and second positions are perpendicular to said plane defined by said pair of male connectors and said third position is parallel with said pair of male connectors;
a first and a second trench each extending across said male face from said third male connector, said first and second trench located and sized to contain said third male connector when placed in said first and second position respectively;
a pair of female connectors having a center line and extending into said body from said female face;
a third female connector parallel with said pair of female connectors and extending into said adaptor from said female face; and
each of said pair of female connectors in electric conductive communication with one of said pair of male connectors and said third female connector in electric conductive communication with said third male conductor;
wherein said third male connector extends beyond said male face when oriented in said first or second positions; and said body has a bend such that said center line of said pair of female conductors is oriented and fixed at 90° relative to said center line of said pair of male connectors and said center line of said pair of female connectors is oriented and fixed at an angle of 45° from said plane defined by said pair of male connectors; and
said body extends from said male face to said female face.
2. The adaptor of
3. The adaptor of
a bend such that said center line of said pair of female conductors is oriented and fixed at 90° relative to said center line of said pair of male connectors and said center line of said pair of female connectors is oriented and fixed at an angle of 45° from said plane defined by said pair of male connectors; and
said body extends from said male face to said female face.
6. The adaptor of
a trench extending across said male face from said third male connector, said trench located and sized to contain said third male connector when placed in said first position.
7. The adaptor of
8. The adaptor of
said third male connector moveable between at least said first position, said second position and a third position;
wherein said third position is perpendicular to said pair of male connectors.
9. The adaptor of
a trench extending across said male face from said third male connector, said trench located and sized to contain said third male connector when placed in said third position.
10. The adaptor of
|
This application is a continuation-in-part patent application claiming priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/474,657, filed on Jun. 26, 2006.
This application is not referenced in any microfiche appendix.
The present invention is generally directed towards an improved electrical adaptor. More specifically, the present invention provides an adaptor which can be used to provide access to an electrical receptacle located behind a piece of furniture while allowing the furniture to sit tightly against the wall. Further the present invention provides the ability to use an appliance with a grounded plug in both sockets of an ungrounded receptacle while providing the ability to ground two of the adaptors the present invention to the grounding screw on the outlet.
Electricity is a modern day necessity. Any building or home built today in the United States is wired for electricity. In wiring these homes and buildings, electric receptacles are placed throughout the building and are typically located on the lower section of walls. Once these homes and buildings are occupied furniture often must be placed in front of a receptacle. The occupant is often faced with the dilemma of either placing the furniture several inches out from the wall so that the receptacle can be accessed for use or placing the furniture flush against the wall, thus leaving the receptacle inaccessible for use.
This problem is compounded when the occupant has an appliance which has a grounded plug and the receptacle is ungrounded.
One possible option in the past has been the use of an extension cord. However, extension cords can be a fire hazard and a trip hazard in certain applications. They also present unsightly clutter.
Other adaptors have been presented to solve this problem however they typically are rather complicated devices with moving parts which increase the likelihood of failure of the adaptor.
Addressing the issue of plugging the grounded plug into the ungrounded receptacle, the occupant has had one of three unsatisfactory options to solve this problem. The first option would be to cut off the grounding prong on the plug, however this leaves the appliance ungrounded and thus presents a danger of electrocuting the occupant.
The second option would be to employ an adaptor plug which has a ground wire extending from it. The grounded appliance plug is simply inserted into the female end of the adaptor. The adaptor is then plugged into the receptacle and the grounding wire is secured to the grounding screw on the face of the receptacle. While this does allow for grounding of the appliance, the extra step of having to unscrew and then reattach grounding screw with the grounding wire is inconvenient as many times the occupant does not have a screw driver handy. Also as the adaptor ages the coating on the grounding wire can become brittle and break and the wire can become frayed thus creating a danger of electrocution and/or fire.
The third option would be to use an adaptor plug having a metal grounding tab extending parallel with the male face of the adaptor. This operates in much the same way as the adaptor described above. The grounded appliance plug is inserted into the female end of the adaptor. The plug can then be inserted into the ungrounded receptacle. In order to provide grounding, the grounding screw on the receptacle must be removed and used to secure the grounding tab to the receptacle. In addition to having the same drawbacks as the adaptor with the grounding wire the adaptor with a grounding tab can only provide grounding when used in the top receptacle. If the adaptor is inserted in the bottom receptacle the grounding tab extends in the direction opposite the receptacle grounding screw.
The other draw back of using either one of these adaptors is that they cause the plug to stick out further from the wall, typically 1″ to 1½″ thus further complicating the location of furniture in front of the receptacle.
The present invention is an electrical adaptor which provides a solution to the shortcomings of the prior art by providing a small rigid single piece electrical adaptor which can be plugged into a receptacle to redirect the interface of the receptacle such that when a plug is connected to it the cord from the plug will hang at an angle parallel with the wall.
Another embodiment provides a hinged male grounding prong or third male connector. This hinged third male connector provides the ability to ground two grounded appliances to the grounding screw of the electrical outlet.
A better understanding of the invention will be obtained from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments taken in conjunction with the drawings and the attached claims.
It is to be understood that the invention that is now to be described is not limited in its application to the details of the construction and arrangement of the parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in a variety of ways. The phraseology and terminology employed herein are for purposes of description and not limitation.
Referring to
The female face 24 of the adaptor 20 has a pair of female connectors 36 with a center line 38. The pair of female connectors 36 also define a plane 40. The female face 24 can also have a third female connector 42 parallel with the pair of female connectors 36.
When the adapter 20 has been used with a typical 120V system, one of the female connectors of the pair of female connectors 36 is the hot wire with the other connector of the pair of female connectors 36 being the neutral wire. The third female connector 42 is typically the ground.
The hot connector of the pair of male connectors 28 is in electric conductive communication with the hot connector of the pair of female connectors 36. Likewise the neutral connector of the pair of male connectors 28 is in electric conductive communication with the neutral female connector of the pair of female connectors 36. The third male connector 34 is also in electric conductive communication with the third female connector 42. The male face 22 is typically disposed on the opposite end of the body 26 from the female face 24.
In the first embodiment the body is configured such that the center line 30 of the pair of male connectors 28 is perpendicular to the center line 38 of the pair of female connectors 36. This angle is indicated by element 44 in
While the example shown in the figures is a three prong outlet with a ground or third connector 34 and 42, the invention can also be implemented using just the male and female pair of connectors 28 and 36. Likewise the invention can also be used on circuits with electrical voltages other than 120V.
Turning now to
When the adaptor 120 is used with a 120V AC system one of the connectors of the pair of male connectors 128 will be the hot or electrified wire. The second male electrical connector in the pair 128 is the neutral side of the circuit. The third male connector 134 is the ground. Likewise one of the female connectors of the pair of female connectors 136 is the hot or electrified wire with the other connector being the neutral wire. The third female connector 142 is the ground. The hot connector of the pair of male connectors 128 is in electric conductive communication with the hot connector of the pair of female connectors 136. Likewise the neutral connector of the pair of male connectors 128 is in electric conductive communication with the neutral female connector. The third male connector 134 is also in electric connective communication with the third female connector 142.
Turning to
Looking at
When the third embodiment of the invention is used with a grounded receptacle the third male connector 134 can be set in a third position such that it is parallel with the pair of male connectors 128. If the adaptor 120 is used with an appliance having a grounded plug in an ungrounded electrical outlet. The grounded plug is inserted into the female connectors 136 and 142. If the adaptor is inserted in the lower receptacle R1 as shown in
If it is necessary to use both the bottom and top receptacle R1 and R2 of an ungrounded electrical plug P as shown in
In addition to using the hinged third male connector 134 with an angled adaptor 20 and 120 such as shown in
The adaptors 20 and 120 of the present invention can be constructed out of any materials commonly known in the art. This includes but is not limited to using polymers, resins and other electrically nonconductive, materials for the body 26 and 126. The connectors 28, 34, 36, 42, 128, 134, 136 and 142 can be fabricated out of any electrically conductive materials known in the art, typically various metals and alloys.
While the invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is manifest that many changes may be made in the details of constriction and the arrangement of components without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure. It is understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiments set forth herein for purposes of exemplification, but is to be limited only by the scope of the attached claims, including the full range of equivalency to which each element thereof is entitled.
Patent | Priority | Assignee | Title |
8568160, | Jul 29 2010 | KPR U S , LLC | ECG adapter system and method |
8634901, | Sep 30 2011 | KPR U S , LLC | ECG leadwire system with noise suppression and related methods |
8647131, | Nov 14 2012 | Wiebusch Enterprises, Inc. | Electrical cord with replaceable plugs |
8668651, | Dec 05 2006 | KPR U S , LLC | ECG lead set and ECG adapter system |
8690611, | Dec 11 2007 | KPR U S , LLC | ECG electrode connector |
8694080, | Oct 21 2009 | KPR U S , LLC | ECG lead system |
8795004, | Dec 11 2007 | KPR U S , LLC | ECG electrode connector |
8821405, | Sep 28 2006 | KPR U S , LLC | Cable monitoring apparatus |
8897865, | Oct 21 2009 | KPR U S , LLC | ECG lead system |
9072444, | Dec 05 2006 | KPR U S , LLC | ECG lead set and ECG adapter system |
9107594, | Dec 11 2007 | KPR U S , LLC | ECG electrode connector |
9375162, | Sep 30 2011 | KPR U S , LLC | ECG leadwire system with noise suppression and related methods |
9408546, | Mar 15 2013 | KPR U S , LLC | Radiolucent ECG electrode system |
9408547, | Jul 22 2011 | KPR U S , LLC | ECG electrode connector |
9693701, | Mar 15 2013 | KPR U S , LLC | Electrode connector design to aid in correct placement |
9737226, | Jul 22 2011 | KPR U S , LLC | ECG electrode connector |
9814404, | Mar 15 2013 | KPR U S , LLC | Radiolucent ECG electrode system |
D726653, | Apr 04 2014 | Electric prong adaptor | |
D737979, | Dec 09 2008 | KPR U S , LLC | ECG electrode connector |
D771818, | Mar 15 2013 | KPR U S , LLC | ECG electrode connector |
D772160, | Sep 05 2014 | GOOGLE LLC | Power adapter |
D808337, | Sep 05 2014 | GOOGLE LLC | Power adapter |
D811329, | Sep 05 2014 | GOOGLE LLC | Power adapter |
Patent | Priority | Assignee | Title |
3579175, | |||
3813640, | |||
3951487, | Dec 16 1974 | The Raymond Lee Organization, Inc. | Electrical receptacle plug and socket |
5171168, | Oct 15 1991 | Manufacturers Components, Incorporated | Electrical plug-socket unit |
5399093, | Feb 01 1994 | WOODS INDUSTRIES, INC | Low profile rotatable electrical plug |
5554039, | Sep 29 1995 | Siemens Electric Limited | Quick plug connector for electric distribution system(s) |
5679026, | Dec 21 1995 | Pacesetter, Inc | Header adapter for an implantable cardiac stimulation device |
5775921, | Apr 10 1996 | Electrical plug | |
5957701, | Jun 06 1997 | Electrical outlet extension | |
5997310, | Oct 21 1998 | Swivel electric plug | |
6004138, | Oct 31 1995 | Electric outlet extender | |
6089921, | Jun 30 1999 | Electric adapter | |
6315617, | Mar 27 1998 | Apparatus and method for distributing power from a power supply | |
6595782, | Jul 10 2002 | Rite-Tech Industrial Co., Ltd. | Electric plug having adaptively rotatable connection member housing |
6663396, | Jun 28 2002 | Electric plug having horizontal/vertical installation modes | |
6709297, | Mar 22 2002 | Multi directional swiveling outlet adaptor | |
6793499, | Aug 05 2003 | Rotatable electrical plug | |
20020173187, | |||
D489328, | May 22 2003 | Portable receptacle extension | |
D559783, | Mar 22 2007 | Multiple electrical plug socket adapter |
Executed on | Assignor | Assignee | Conveyance | Frame | Reel | Doc |
Date | Maintenance Fee Events |
May 31 2013 | REM: Maintenance Fee Reminder Mailed. |
Sep 25 2013 | M2551: Payment of Maintenance Fee, 4th Yr, Small Entity. |
Sep 25 2013 | M2554: Surcharge for late Payment, Small Entity. |
Jun 02 2017 | REM: Maintenance Fee Reminder Mailed. |
Nov 20 2017 | EXP: Patent Expired for Failure to Pay Maintenance Fees. |
Date | Maintenance Schedule |
Oct 20 2012 | 4 years fee payment window open |
Apr 20 2013 | 6 months grace period start (w surcharge) |
Oct 20 2013 | patent expiry (for year 4) |
Oct 20 2015 | 2 years to revive unintentionally abandoned end. (for year 4) |
Oct 20 2016 | 8 years fee payment window open |
Apr 20 2017 | 6 months grace period start (w surcharge) |
Oct 20 2017 | patent expiry (for year 8) |
Oct 20 2019 | 2 years to revive unintentionally abandoned end. (for year 8) |
Oct 20 2020 | 12 years fee payment window open |
Apr 20 2021 | 6 months grace period start (w surcharge) |
Oct 20 2021 | patent expiry (for year 12) |
Oct 20 2023 | 2 years to revive unintentionally abandoned end. (for year 12) |